What’s in MY pack? Backpacking gear lists from a Great Smoky Mountains overnighter"Ever since we published a series of backpacking gear lists this spring (an ultralight backpacking gear list, a traditional backpacking gear list and a beginner’s backpacking gear list) several blog readers have contacted me to ask which of those items I personally carry. After all, it’s one thing to compile lists of suggested backpacking gear, and another thing entirely to disclose exactly what I take on the trail. Well, what better way to follow up those gear lists, and answer that question, than with another gear list?"

I tried on a lot of shells before settling on the Beta AR... a LOT of shells. I was dead-set on a Gore-Tex Pro shell jacket, partly due to its enhanced breathability and partly due to the extra durability in the Pro fabrics. I do a lot of off-trail field work, which involves bush-whacking through prickers and thorns, so I don't need my waterproof shell to rip in half the first time I put it to use!

Once I'd narrowed it down to the pro shells, it mostly came down to fit for me, and the fit of the Arc'teryx Beta AR is just perfect. As soon as I put it on, I knew I had a winner. I'd tried on a couple of Marmot shell jackets, but they seemed very boxy to me, and very baggy around the mid-section; I prefer a more athletic fit. I also tried a Mountain Hardwear pro shell, which was stretchy with a trim fit, but it was too narrow in the shoulders, and the zipper was so difficult to use that I felt trapped in the jacket!

The Beta AR fits like it was designed for real people to do real things in the real world. This is something that I think Arc'teryx does very well; they pay a lot of attention to seam placement and tailoring, and their outerwear just seems to FIT better.

In regard to the zipper, well, Arc'teryx has been making the best waterproof zippers for a long time, and I'm happy about that every time I put the jacket on. It's not like those cheap waterproof zippers you have to fight with... just nice and smooth, up and down.

Before I purchased it, I talked to a couple of friends, both of whom have had their own Beta AR shells for 8-10 years, with no complaints. Without a doubt, Arc'teryx makes the best waterproof shell jackets out there, and I couldn't be happier with my Beta AR.